Grapnel



May 17, 1932. I J, P SALMON I 1,858,941

GRAPNEL Filed Nov. 26. 1930 IN VEN TOR.

James 1 Salmon ATTORN Y.

Patented May 17, 1932 TENT OFFECE JAMES P. SALMON, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA GRAPNEL Application filed November 26, 1930. Serial No.498,228.

My invention relates to grapnels for use in recovering lost anchorchains, lines or cables, and it relates more particularly to grapnels ofa character which will readily hook and insure a firm grip on the chain,line or cable. 7

An object of my invention is to provide a grapnel simple to construct,which will easily recover lost chains, cables or the like.

A further object of my invention, is to so construct my grapnel that itwill grip and hold hooked chains, cables or lines in a manner that willnot injure them and yet will not permit them to slip or be pulled off.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists broadlyof a grapnel so designed that the hooked chain, cable or line is notreleased except at the will of the operator.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in theaccompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred byme, since the same have been found in practice to give satisfactory andre-' liable results, although it is to be understood that the variousinstrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variouslyarranged and or anized and that my invention is not limited to theprecise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as hereinshown and described.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicatelike parts Figure 1 represents a fragmentary side elevation of the lowerportion of a grapnel hook embodying my invention, illustrating thewedge-like relationship between the fluke and shank.

Figure 2 represents a fragmentary front elevation of a four flukegrappling iron embodying my invention, illustrating the wedge-likerelationship between the four flukes and the shank.

Figure 3 represents a fragmentary view in perspective of a modified formof grappling iron embodying my invention, illustrating the wedge-likerelationship between the flukes.

Figure 4i represents a fragmentary side elevation of a further modifiedform of grapnel hook embodying my invention illustrating the chain linkreceiver and a chain hooked therein.

Figure 5 represents a front elevation of a further modified form ofgrappling iron embodying my invention.

My invention consists of a grappling hook, an embodiment of which isshown in Figure 1, which includes a shank 7 and relatively long fluke 8between which is a gradually tapering opening 9. The opening is soarranged that a cable or line 10 will slide along the fluke 8 and becomefirmly hooked and wedged between the shank 7 and fluke 8. Any lift orforward drag of the grapnel will tend 109 increase the grip on thehooked cable or A modification of my present invention is illustrated inFigure 2, in which a particular form of wedge-like opening relationship11 is shown. For purposes of illustration, this is shown as applied to agrappling iron 12 consisting of shank 13 and four relatively long flukes14 each perpendicularly disposed with respect to the adjacent fluke, andall disposed at an acute angle to said shank. The length and angulardisposition of the flukes with respect to the shank and with respect toeach other, tend to insure the maintenance of one or more free, engagingtips of the flukes against or close to the floor of the body of water,when the grapnel is dragged, regardless of the angle between the shankand the floor.

It will be noted that a bulge 15 is applied on the portion of the shankadjacent the wedge-like opening so that the opening relationship is nowbetween the fluke 14 .and the bulge 15 of the shank. The purpose of thebulge is to permit the use of the wedge-like opening without cutting toodeeply into the mass portion 16 of the grappling iron 12.

Another modification of my present invention, in which a wedge-likerelationship exists between the hooks of a grapnel 17 as shown in Figure3. In this form of grappling iron, the shank 18, relatively long lowerhook 19, and two relatively long upper hooks 20, are so disposed that awedge-like opening relationship 21 exists between the lower hook and thetwo upper hooks, said upper hooks, being somewhat shorter than the lowerhook 19. As the iron is dragged, the lower hook 19 drags the floor ofthe body of water operated in, while the upper hooks 2O protrudeforward; or the lower hook l9 and one of the two upper hooks 20 may dragthe floor of the body of water. But in either case, the line is engagedfirst by the lower hook l9, and then interlocks with the upper hooks 20.In the process of dragging the hook 19 slides under the line or' c'able10 'until the line or cable is can ht between the rotrudin hooks 20 andthe dragging hook 19. Any further dragging or lift of the'iron will tendto increase the hold on the line or cable 10. The grip in this caseis'particularly strong inasmuch as there are not only individualwedgelike opening relationships between the protruding flukes 20 and thedragging fluke 19, but thereis a further grip resulting from the bendingaction on the line or cable occasioned by'the' tendency of the line orcable 10 to pass over the hook 19 and beneath the hooks 20.

A further modification of my invention, consisting of a grapnel for therecovery of chains and other objects of uneven thickmasses isillustrated particularly in Fi ures 4; and 5. In Figure l, my inventionconsists ofa grappling hook 22 which includes a shank 23, a long guidingfluke 24 angularly disposed therewith, guiding rod 25, and link receiver26.

The long guiding fluke 24: is disposed at an acute angle of such degreewith the shank 23 as to enable the free tip of the fluke to remain closeto the surface being dragged, when the grapnel is in dragging operation,generally regardless of the angle between the floor and the median planecommon to said fluke and said shank. As shown, a chain 27, consisting inpart of links 28 and 29 (shown partly broken away) is caught and her 1in the link receiver 26. The width of this link receiver is but littlegreater than the thickness of the link so that once the link is caughtin the opening, the adjoining links will not permit the sliding of thechain in either direction through the opening 26. The angle and positionof the link receiver 26 does not permit the chain to fall out of thepocket. In this manner, an almostperfect hold on the chain is insured.

In Figure 5 is shown a modified form of the link receiver as applied toa four-fluke grappling iron 30 consisting of a shank 31, fiukes 82,dragging head 88 and link receiver 34. Here the link receiver is not ofuniform width, but consists of a pocket 35 for holding the link and anarrow opening 36 to permit the entrance of the chain link. The pocketis wide enough to permit freer motion of the chain link but still: toonarrow to permit the adjoining links to pass through it.

The advantage of this form of link-receiver lies in the almost enclosedhousing for the chain link so that in cases where the chain would beginto slip out of the link-receiver, the link would be caught by the narrowopening and be retained.

For cases in which an undesirable object has been hooked by the grapnel,l have provideda release cable 37 and an eyelet 38 therefor. lhis eyeletis so placed that an upward pull on the rel-ease cable will upset thegrapnel, dumping the objecthooked therein.

1 am aware that my invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and Itherefore desire the presentembodiment to be considered in all respectsas illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I hereby claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A grapnel having a shank, moans operable to drag and lift said shank,a fluke extending from the lower terminal portion of said shank at anacute angle with respect thereto and having alength and an angle ofdivergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause thefree tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being dragged,regardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shankand fluke and the surface over which the grapnel is being dragged;locking means at the juncture of saidfluke and said shank to hold arecovered line against displacement with respect thereto, said flukehaving a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and saidlocking means for guiding and transferring the engaged line from the tipto said locking means, by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and forpreventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to anydisturbances prior to its firm locking in said locking means; thejuncture of said fluke and shank being thickened.

2. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and to lift saidshank, a fluke extending from the lower terminal portion of said shank,and forming a wedge-like relationship between said fluke and said shank,and having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to saidshank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remainclose to the surface being dragged regardless of the angle between themedian plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over whichthe grapnel being dragged; said wedge-like relationship being adapted towedgingly grip a hooked line into locked engagement therewith; saidfluke having a relatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof andthe apex of said locking wedge for guiding and transferring the en-'gaged line from the tip to said apex, by means of the dragging of thegrapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caughtline due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in said wedge.

3. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank,a plurality of flukes extending from said shank and having a wedge-likerelationship between said flukes for gripping into locked engagement arecovered line therebetween, said flukes having a length and an angle ofdivergence with respect to said shank and to each other, such as willtend to cause the free tip of one of said flukes to remain close to thesurface being dragged, regardless of the angle between said shank andsaid surface; and one of said flukes having a relatively long guidingedge between the tip thereof and the looking, wedge-like juncture ofsaid flukes with said shank, for guiding and transferrlng the engagedline from the tip to sa d locking juncture, by means of the draggin ofthe grapnel, and for preventlng the uriliooking of the grapnel from thecaught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locklng in saidwedge-like relationship.

4:. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift saidshank, a nuke extending from the lower portlon of said shank at an acuteangle with respect thereto and having a length and an angle ofdivergence with respect to said shank such as will tend to cause thefree tip of the fluke to remain close to the surface being draggedregardless of the angle between the median plane common to said shankand fluke and the surface over which the grapnel is being dragged; aslot at the base portion of said fluke, said slot having a widthslightly greater than the thickness of a link of the chain to berecovered, said fluke having a relatively long guiding edge between thetip thereof and said slot for guiding and transferrlng the engaged chainfrom the tip to said slot by means of the dragging of the grapnel, andfor preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from the caught chain due toany disturbances prior to its firm locking in said slot, the chain hnkwithin said slot being locked against transverse slippage therethroughby means of the adjoining links.

5. A grapnel havlng a shank, means operable to drag and to lift saldshank, a; fluke extending from the lower terminal portion of said shank,and forminga wedge-like relationship between said fluke and said shank,and having a length and an angle of divergence with respect to saidshank such as will tend to cause the free tip of the fluke to remainclose to the surface being dragged regardless of the angle between themedian plane common to said shank and fluke and the surface over whichthe grapnel is being dragged;

said wedge-like relationship being adapted to wedgingly grip a hookedline into locked en-- gagement therewith; said fluke having a relativelylong guiding edge between the tip thereof and the apex of said lockingwedge for guiding and transferring the engaged line from the tip to saidapex, by means of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing theunhooking of the grapnel from the caught line due to any disturbancesprior to its firm locking in said wedge; and an eyelet for a releasecable so disposed with relation to said fluke and to said wedge that anupward pull on a release cable attached thereto will tend to disengage ahooked line from said wedge and said fluke.

6. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank,a plurality of flukes extending from said shank and having a wedge-likerelationship between said flukes for gripping into locked engagement arecovered line therebetween, said flukes having a length and an angle ofdivergence with respect to said shank and to each other, such as willtend to cause the free tip of one of said flukes to remain close to thesurface being dragged, regardless of the angle between said shank andsaid surface; and one of said flukes having a relatively long guidingedge between the tip thereof and the locking, wedge-like juncture ofsaid flukes with said shank, for guiding and transferring the on gagedline from the tip to said locking juncture, by means of the dragging ofthe grapnel, and for preventing the unhooking of the grapnel from thecaught line due to any disturbances prior to its firm locking in saidwedge-like relationship, and an eyelet for a release cable, so disposedwith relation to said flukes that an upward pull on a release cableattached to said eyelet will tend to disengage a hooked line from saidflukes.

7. A grapnel having a shank, means operable to drag and lift said shank,a fluke extending from the lower portion of said shank at an acute anglewith respect thereto and having a length and an angle of divergence withrespect to said shank such as will tend to cause the free tip of thefluke to remain close to the surface being dragged regardless of theangle between the median plane common to said shank and fluke and thesurface over which the grapnel is being dragged; a slot at the baseportion of said fluke, said slot having awidth slightly greater than thethickness of a link of the chain to be recovered, said fluke having arelatively long guiding edge between the tip thereof and said slot forguiding and transferring the engaged chain from the tip to said slot bymeans of the dragging of the grapnel, and for preventing the unhookingof the grapnel from the caught chain due to any disturbances prior toits firm locking in said slot, the chain link within said slot beinglocked against transverse slippage therethrough by means of theadjoining links; and an eyelet for a release cable so disposed Withrelation to said fluke and said slot that an upward pull on a release:cable attached to said eyelet Will tend to disengage a chain from saidslot and said fluke. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my handthis 17th day of October, 1980.

JAMES P. SALMON.

